Karen McGraw Garappolo - Paintings

Artist's Statement:

Although my first love is drawing, I am enjoying painting in oils. Drawing with a brush is more fluid and loose, enabling me to express my ideas with color on canvas. I enjoy arranging a still life in my studio, with flowers from my cutting garden and fruit and vegetables. I enjoy painting landscape ‘en plein air’ or from my own photographs. Portraits of people (and dogs) from life or my own photos are an ongoing interest. After devoting most of the past 20 years to raising my children, it is wonderful to now devote all my energies to creating original artwork.

Profile:

I was born in New York City and grew up in the NYC area. I attended Rochester Institute of Technology and received a BFA in painting. I received my MS in Medical Illustration from the University of Rochester.

My husband, two sons and I moved to Northern California in 1988. In 1994 a partner and I started a mural and faux painting business, called ‘Hand Painted’. After about 5 years, we closed the business and I began to pursue my own painting. I studied oil painting at UC Santa Cruz, Pacific Art League, and West Valley College. Along with some friends and associates I held my first open studio in 2004.

Exhibitions:

Silicon Valley Open Studios, May, ’04
Stars Juried Show

City Council Chambers, Los Gatos, January & February ‘05
Two person show with Mimi Kearns

Los Gatos Art Association Juried Show, March ‘05
Andy’s Pet Shop 12 x 24, oil

Silicon Valley Open Studios, May ‘05
Stars Juried show

Agilent Technologies Art Gallery, June ‘05
Selected Works

Los Gatos Art Association, October ‘05
Juried Show
Corolla Garden 24 x24, oil
Big Basin Way 24 x 48, oil

City Council Chambers, Los Gatos, December ’05 & January ‘06
‘Whimsical’ show
Play with me 18 x 24, oil

Silicon Valley Open Studios, May ’05, ‘06

Memberships:

Pacific Art League
Society of Local Artists
Los Gatos Art Association

Karen McGraw Garappolo
12861 Regan Lane
Saratoga, CA 95070
kmg@garappolo.com